Operations - Associate

Job Highlight

The Operations Associate (Project Support), ICS-6 will provide operational support to the VCEP/PVEP projects, overseeing HR, finance, procurement, administration, and audit readiness while supervising a Project Support Assistant and ensuring efficient and compliant project delivery.

About The Project Office

Since 1995, UNOPS has maintained an active presence in Afghanistan, delivering efficient, agile services in support of both humanitarian response and development efforts. Prior to August 2021, the Afghanistan Country Office (AFCO) implemented projects across a broad range of sectors, including infrastructure, procurement, capacity building, and environmental protection. In response to evolving humanitarian needs, AFCO has shifted its focus to supporting life-saving initiatives and basic human needs. Current priorities include managing large-scale cash-for-work programmes, procuring emergency supplies, and providing inter-agency coordination, communication, and accountability support.

Role Purpose

Under the direct guidance and supervision of the Senior Officer (ICS-9), the Operations Associate serves as the operational anchor for the VCEP and PVEP portfolios. Operating with a high degree of independence, the incumbent interprets rules, manages administrative and operational workflows, and ensures strict audit readiness across Human Resources, Finance, Administration, Logistics, and Procurement.

The Operations Associate is responsible for the direct supervision, workload distribution, and quality control of a Project Support Assistant (ICS-4), ensuring the project support unit operates efficiently. The incumbent resolves standard bottlenecks independently, escalating only complex exceptions to the Senior Officer.

Functions / Key Results Expected

• Team Supervision and Operational Coordination
• Direct Supervision: Oversee the day-to-day tasks of the Project Support Assistant (ICS-4), providing clear guidance, assigning workflows, and monitoring performance delivery.
• Quality Assurance: Review and clear primary administrative and transactional outputs produced by the Assistant before they are escalated to the Senior Officer (ICS-9) or processed in the system.
• Capacity Building: Coach and mentor the ICS-4 Assistant on UNOPS operational guidelines, ERP system navigation, and proper file management procedures.
• Procurement and Contract Management
• Process Management: Lead the review, refinement, and management of requisitions, local sourcing, and Requests for Payments (RFPs) for project supplies, services, and minor works, ensuring compliance with procurement frameworks.
• Asset & IT Oversight: Oversee the end-to-end procurement, delivery, and installation of office infrastructure and IT equipment, coordinating directly with the ICT unit to resolve systemic platform issues.
• Vendor Administration: Act as the operational focal point for local suppliers; track contract milestones, monitor deliverables, and address performance or compliance issues.
• Financial and Budgetary Analysis
• Budget Monitoring: Independently monitor expenditures against approved project budgets; analyze variances, track UN Common Costs (CC), and provide regular risk-alert updates to the Senior Officer.
• Financial Ledger Coordination: Manage the process for General Ledger Journal Entries (GLJE) regarding salary redistributions, proactively coordinating with the Country Office Finance Unit to ensure timely completion.
• Audit Readiness: Lead the preparation for internal and external audits. Analyze audit requirements, coordinate file assemblies, perform quality control on documentation, and draft initial technical clarifications for audit queries.
• Human Resources and Personnel Lifecycle Management
• Contract Administration: Oversee the contract extension process for national personnel and specialist consultants; review, validate, and facilitate the signature of Note to Files (NTFs).
• Workforce Tracking: Manage and maintain the project HR Plan and Recruitment Tracker; analyze staffing gaps and proactively liaise with HR to expedite Vacancy Announcements (VAs).
• Onboarding Logistics: Coordinate complex deployment logistics for incoming project personnel, including verifying Work from Home (WfH) internet allowances, asset allocations, and compliance logs.
• General Administration and Information Management
• Information Architecture: Enforce strict organizational file-naming conventions and digital filing structures across the project database to guarantee immediate retrieval and institutional memory.
• Document Control: Coordinate and quality-assure the translation of critical official documents into Dari and Pashto, ensuring high-accuracy packages are prepared for Ministry of Finance (MoF) submissions.
• Travel and Mission Logistics: Oversee the international travel and logistics tracker; coordinate security clearance inputs, visa processing, accommodation, and secure airport transits.
• Asset & Inventory Management: Maintain and reconcile the comprehensive Project Inventory and Asset register, preparing formal documentation for eventual asset disposals or transfers.
  
  

• Secondary school (or equivalent) with 6 years of relevant experience
• A bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Finance, Human Resources, or a related field with 2 years of relevant experience is required.
  
  

• Minimum 6 years of relevant experience with a secondary school diploma, or 2 years of relevant experience with a Bachelor's degree or higher, in project operations, finance, HR, procurement, or administrative support.
  
  

• Experience working within a UN System organization.
• Direct experience managing operations or audit responses for large-scale donor-funded projects (e.g., ADB).
• Experience in team leadership or supervising junior support staff is highly desirable.